The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF and the Samyang 20mm F1.8 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Samyang 20mm F1.8 is the longer of the two lenses at 88mm. The Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF with a length of 69mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Samyang 20mm F1.8 also has a larger diameter of 83mm compared to the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF's 62mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF weighs 490g, which means it is 7g (1%) lighter than the Samyang 20mm F1.8 which has a weight of 497g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Sony E Mount for size comparison purposes.
Ultra-Wideangle Lenses in Sony E Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF has a filter size of 62mm whereas the Samyang 20mm F1.8 has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 62mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Samyang 20mm F1.8:
Lens Mounts
Both the Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF and the Samyang 20mm F1.8 has the same Sony E lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sony E lenses are Sony A9 III, Sony A7C Mark II and Sony A7CR.
Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF is also available in Sony E mount.
Samyang 20mm F1.8 is also available in Canon EF , Canon EF-M, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds, Nikon F (FX), Pentax KAF, Samsung NX and Sony Alpha mounts.
Focal Range
Both lenses have the same focal range of
20mm but while Tokina Firin 20mm F2 FE MF has the fastest aperture of
F2, the Samyang 20mm F1.8's widest aperture value is
F1.8.